The LINK nky Team of the Week for January 19-25 presented by Ortho Cincy is the Highlands swim and dive teams.
A bonus for the Highlands swim and dive teams is that they are now eligible for Team of the Season (TOS) for the winter sports season. They are the sixth TOW award winner for the season, joining the Boone County boys basketball team, Conner archery team, St. Henry girls basketball team, Ryle archery team and the Highlands dance team taking home the other TOW honors. The weekly nominations and winners for winter will run through February. A vote will follow for TOS when the winter sports season is wrapped up to determine the winner. The winner for TOS will then be one of three nominees for Team of the Year voting in June. Each TOS winner will receive a $500 scholarship that will go to an athlete of their choice and they will then be up for Team of the Year (TOY).
For the team that is awarded TOY, online and print articles will again be published, a large commemorative plaque will be presented and the school will receive an additional $500 scholarship to be presented to the athlete of their choice at the end of the school year. The call for nominations, voting and winning announcement for each will follow the same format as the TOTW.
Check out the new TOW nominees on Monday for the week of Jan. 25-31.
HIGHLANDS SWIM AND DIVE
Highlands again swept all three team titles at the Northern Kentucky Athletic Conference swim and dive meet, winning the boys, girls and overall championships. The boys posted 550 points.
The Highlands girls were even more commanding, scoring 616. In the combined standings, Highlands piled up 1,166 points. Highlands and Simon Kenton finished 1-2 in the overall D-1 standings.
Other honorees included Highlands’ Stella Kendon, the Division I Girls Competitor of the Meet, and teammate Chanith Abeysinghe, the D‑1 Boys Competitor of the Meet.
Highlands’ roster produced some standout individual moments. But the Bluebirds won the same way they’ve won all season—with depth, balance and a long list of contributors.
Among the Highlands girls individual event winners were Kendon in the 200-yard medley, Ella Kate Reynolds in the 100- and 200-yard freestyle races, Vivian Winkler in the 50-yard freestyle and Margaret Meyers in the 100-yard backstroke. Reynolds was runner-up to Kendon in the girls power points race.
Bluebirds boys winners included Abeysinghe in the 100-yard freestyle and Max Taylor in the 100-yard butterfly. Elliot Meyers won the 500-yard freestyle.
Highlands also won a handful of relay races with help from Kendon and Abeysinghe.
Highlands’ Addie Tinkler was girls runner-up with 362.50 in the 1-meter diving competition.
Congratulations to our other nominees as well: Newport Central Catholic girls basketball, Ryle boys basketball, Scott boys basketball and Cooper archery.